Free to Air Sport: the case of England v Australia
England will play Australia in the semi-final of the cricket World Cup on Thursday in Birmingham.
Given the historic rivalry between the two teams and the status of the competition there will be much interest.
It will of course be broadcast ball by ball on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special and many, particularly those who are working will follow it that way.
These days of course even if you are working or out and about you can follow sporting events on a smartphone or tablet. However as the game is not free to air but will be shown only on Sky (subscription service) most wont be able to do that.
Imagine what would be said if the semi-final of the football World Cup in which England were playing was available only on a subscription TV service. One imagines the Prime Minister would have a word.
Theresa May is still just about Prime Minister and she is a noted cricket fan but don’t expect anything to happen.
When the England women’s football team played in the semi-final of the Women’s Football World Cup, it was shown free to air on the BBC and attracted an audience of over 11 million. The game between England and India in the cricket World Cup (which England had to win to reach the semi-final) was shown on Sky and reached a small percentage of that audience.
The authority that runs English and Welsh cricket, the ECB, has a long-term relationship with Sky and expect both sides to dig their heels on around free to air. It is not the democratic model of sport spectating that they have backed over the years.
Both however have issues.
The ECB plans to launch a new 100 ball competition next season to try and generate new interest in cricket. Its probably fair to say that if England v Australia were screened free to air on Thursday it would achieve the same thing in a day not a season.
Sky meanwhile is no longer owned by Rupert Murdoch but by US broadcaster Comcast. They have significant debt acquired during the sale so don’t necessarily expect the subscription model of TV cricket broadcasting to continue as it has been.
Interesting times and a good time to press for cricket to return to free to air coverage.
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